Following last weeks episode, which was a re-cap of all eight preliminary round bouts, the tenth edition of The Ultimate Fighter Nations started off with a dejected Luke Harris, fresh off of being knocked out by Vik Grujic, riding back to the house with Team Canada.
One of the members of the Canadian squad that was absent in the ride back home was Sheldon Westcott, who was checking in with medical officials about some issues he was dealing with in his neck. Westcott returned to the house with positive news, the injury to his neck was just a strain, so he will be good to compete in the semifinal round.
Before the semifinal matchup were announced, the eight welterweights and middleweights each video chatted with Dana White and made a case for which fight they wanted in the next round.
After UFC President Dana White deliberated with Team Canada coach Patrick Cote and Australian coach Kyle Noke, the semifinals were set with Kajan Johnson taking on teammate Chad Laprise in one side of the welterweight bracket, while Olivier Aubin-Mercier matched up with Richard Walsh on the other side. In the middleweight division, a pair of Canada vs Australia bouts were put together as it was announced that Sheldon Westcott would face Vik Grujic in the last fight of the season, and that Elias Theodorou would be slated to face Tyler Manawaroa.
The first semifinal, which took place later in the episode, would be Kajan Johnson vs Chad Laprise, the lone match that pitted a Canadian against another Canadian.
Patrick Cote followed the precedent that has been set in previous seasons of The Ultimate Fighter when teammates fight each other by refusing to corner either fighter. Johnson and Laprise were left to their own devices when it came to deciding who their corner would be, and they split the Canadian assistant coaches.
Kajan Johnson made Fabio Holanda, a jiu-jitsu expert, his primary corner-man, while Chad Laprise asked Canada’s striking coach, Kru Ash, for his presence in the corner. Laprise also asked Roberto Tussa, a jiu-jitsu coach from Team Australia to corner him.
Leading up to the fight, both fighters received a small package. Kajan Johnson talked about how important this fight is because he is suffering from a financial standpoint, and Chad Laprise talked about how being born into an abusive household led to him training martial arts. At first, his reason for training was fueled by rage and aggression, but he’s been able to convert that negative energy into his love for God when it comes to what motivates him to compete and train.
Kajan Johnson and Chad Laprise both made weight for the welterweight bout with little difficulty. Johnson weighed in at 170 lbs, and Laprise weighed in at 171 lbs.
The fight between the two took place next, and it ended when Chad Laprise knocked Kajan Johnson out with less than a minute left int he second right. Prior to the finish, both fighters picked their shots and fought a methodical fight, but the fight eventually concluded with Laprise putting Johnson away with a brutal overhand right.
Bleeding from the mouth after returning back to consciousness, Johnson complained about potentially breaking his jaw and got a emotional, realizing that his career is at a crossroads once again.